Dixie Chili and Deli
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Dixie Chili and Deli is a chain of chili parlors located in the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio serving dishes featuring Cincinnati-style chili.
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[edit] History
Nicholas Sarakatsannis immigrated to the United States from Greece in 1912 at the age of 15 in order to escape hostilities between the Greeks and the Turks. He landed a series of jobs in restaurants and the food industry, eventually arriving in Cincinnati. In 1928, he began working for Empress Chili, the original Cincinnati-style chili parlor. His first day on the job he made nine gallons of chili.
He soon became convinced he could develop his own recipe and open his own chili parlor. Searching the region on busses between split shifts for a location that would not be in competition with Empress, Sarakatsannis found a location in Newport, Kentucky on Monmouth Street, the city’s primary business district. The first Dixie Chili restaurant opened its doors in 1929, the year of the Great Depression.
The original chili recipe has not been altered and is a closely guarded family secret. Dixie's chili is milder than some of the other regional chili parlors, but has developed such a following that the restaurant has opened parlors in Covington, Kentucky and Erlanger, Kentucky.
The Sarkatsannis family continues to own and operate the business.
[edit] Menu
The original menu heavily featured Cincinnati-style chili. Prominent on the restaurant’s early menu were the following dishes:
- One-way, a bowl of chili
- Two-way, a plate of spaghetti topped with chili
- Three-way, a two-way with cheese, by far the most popular spaghetti combination.
- Four-way, a three-way with onions
- Five-way, a four-way with pinto beans
- Six-way, a five-way with garlic cloves
- Coney, a hot dog featuring the signature chili and often topped with onion and/or shredded cheese.
Within the last several years, Dixie began to expand its menu, featuring deli sandwiches, chicken fingers, soups and salads.
[edit] References
- The History of Dixie Chili
- Polly Campbell. Cincinnati Enquirer: Dixie Choices Change Chili Purists’Parlor 18 Feb 2000
